Photo Flash: MACK & MABEL Opens at Bickford

A record, near-capacity audience leapt to its feet at the Opening Night of Jerry Herman's 8-time Tony Award-nominated musical, MACK & MABEL, on Friday, September 24, at the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ. This rollicking and romantic delight by the Tony Award-winning composer of La Cage Aux Folles, Hello, Dolly! and Mame runs through Sunday, October 17, 2010.

Mack & Mabel tells the true story of legendary silent movie director Mack Sennett's pie-in-the face, Keystone Kops, and Bathing Beauties Hollywood--and Mack's even wilder love affair with his greatest leading lady, comedienne Mabel Normand. Mack & Mabel takes you on a musically-thrilling roller coaster ride through Jerry Herman's favorite score including such blockbuster classics as "Tap Your Troubles Away," "I Wanna Make the World Laugh," "Movies Were Movies," "I Won't Send Roses," and "Time Heals Everything." The New York Post callEd Mack & Mabel "the most lovable musical in years" and we couldn't agree more as we promise you a toe-tapping good time-and a happy ending!

Mack & Mabel stars Scott McGowan as Mack Sennett and Larissa Klinger as Mabel Normand.

Scott McGowan recently starred as Mack Sennett at Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven, NJ, and is thrilled to re-create the title role at the Bickford! A Surflight Theater veteran, he performed as Bob Cratchit in their Holiday production Ebenezer and other appearances in I Do, I Do!, Forever Plaid and Miracle on 34th Street. He is a company member of Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre in South Orange, NJ. Among Scott's many regional performances include such diverse roles as an Indiana Jones doll, Miss Gulch in The Wizard of Oz, the Emcee for Holiday Spectacular on Ice (on skates, no less!) and the Wolf in Into the Woods. More traditional roles include Tony in Shear Madness at the Kennedy Center, Marc in Art, and the Emcee in Cabaret. Scott has also performed and/or directed Forever Plaid ten times. He was awarded Best Supporting Actor in a Musical from the state of New Hampshire for two years for his performances of the Engineer in Miss Saigon and Juan Peron in Evita.

Larissa Klinger is excited to be making her Bickford Theatre debut, after co-starring as Mabel Normand at Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven, NJ, and playing "LaVerne Andrews" in Sisters of Swing earlier in the season. This summer she also traveled to Spokane, Washington, to do a production of 42nd St. Other favorite credits: 42nd Street (Annie), Gypsy (Louise), The Robber Bridegroom (Rosamund), and Backwards in High Heels (Ethel Merman/Woman #3). When she is not on performing in the theatre, Larissa travels and performs all over the US with the USO Liberty Bells.

Mack and Mabel's amazing cast also includes Abbey Elliot as Lottie Ames. Alan Pagano as Fatty Arbuckle, Daniel Vissers as Frank Wyman, Cailan Robinson as Kessel and others, Graham Keen as Bauman and others, Mark-Alan as Desmond Taylor and others, Johnathon Micheal Hanson as Man 4, Jessica Norland as Ellie and others, Whitney Cooper as Woman 2, and Maggie McVey as Woman 3.

The design and production team includes Music Director Michael McAssey, Set Designer David Esler, Lighting Designer Roman Klima, Properties Master Shannon Kirkpatrick, and Costume Designer Keith Schneider. Yumi Matsuura serves as Production Stage Manager. Bickford Theatre Artistic Director Eric Hafen directs, with choreography by Tony Mansker.

Main Stage Series performances are Thursday, Sept. 30, at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 7 and 14, at 2 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. The Bickford Theatre is conveniently located within the Morris Museum and offers free parking and full accessibility. Box Office hours for phone sales are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-up hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To purchase tickets or for further information, please contact the Box Office at 973.971.3706 or visit us 24/7 at www.bickfordtheatre.org.

Photo Credit: Pook Pfaffe

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